Drought relief feed exchange in western areas of South Dakota

September 07, 2007|By Bob Fanning, Extension Educator-Agronomy

County Extension offices in western South Dakota are operating a Drought Relief Hay Exchange to connect those who have feed to sell with those who need to buy it. Extension offices in the area will take part in compiling a list of resources. Hay listings from across the state will be accepted, but the focus counties for needing hay are Shannon, Fall River, and Custer counties. Extension offices have a form that asks the person's name, location, phone number, the type and quantity of hay, and whether it's round or square bales. The list will also contain people who want to buy hay or feed can also be added to the list. Price information will not be included, leaving that to buyers and sellers to work out for themselves. Producers in the southwestern part of the state have lost some feed resources due to fire as well as not being able to raise feed because of drought. The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and the South Dakota State University Cooperative Extension Service also operate an Internet-based service called FeedFinder. Those who have hay or other feeds for sale or pasture for lease can access the site online at http://sdces.sdstate.edu/drought. Click on the “FeedFinder” logo. Log-in procedures are easy for first-time users. Registration requires a name, a password, which the user selects, and an e-mail address. Those who do not have access to the Internet or for any other reason would rather not enter their information themselves can contact their local countyExtensionoffice for assistance. Rural Women's Conference The 2007 Rural Women's Conference is set for Sept. 14-15 at the Spearfish Holiday Inn & Convention Center. The event is organized by South Dakota Women in Agriculture, which has details at its Web site, http://www.sdwia.org/. The cost is $75 for the two-day conference for those registering by Sept. 1, or $100 after Sept. 1. Women have the option of paying $40 to attend only one day of the conference if they register by Sept. 1, or $55 after Sept. 1. Day care is provided. Registration begins at 9 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 14, and is followed by a 10 a.m. keynote panel session on “taking charge of tomorrow” that deals with the experiences of rural women and how they persevered through tough times. There is a long list of very interesting and educational sessions throughout the conference, and it appears that it would be well worth attending. For more detailed information on the topics and speakers, or to register for the conference, contact your Extension office. Sponsors include South Dakota State University, North Central Region SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education), the South Dakota Beef Industry Council, Purina Mills Inc., South Dakota Farm Bureau, Farm Credit Services of America, Fort Dodge Animal Health, Pioneer Bank & Trust, First Western Bank. Calendar 9/10-12/2007 Ð South Dakota Grazing School, Oacoma